Pure Mohair Skins Questions

I think it depends on how you like you skin track. Some folks believe in a steep, direct approach, which is best suited for nylon. But if you have long approaches and generally prefer a more mellow skin track with more glide to each step, then mohair is the way to go.
GLIDE VS. GRIP
I smell a quiver of skins forming......its a good thing too.

I'm not that picky about the angle of the skin track, so long as someone else put it in . . .  :  )

The people who seem most glide-obsessed (European rando racers) often spend long periods skinning at moderate angles where glide is critical. They also are rail-thin and have very good technique. The elite class racers I've talked to typically travel with two or even three pair of skins with varying levels of traction.

My experience with my Coltex (sp?) mohair skins (used in the mid 1980's) was that they can ice up terribly. As a result, I probably will never use mohair again. BTW-- love my climbingskins.com non-mohair skins (wall to wall tracktion, great price and no icing...)....For what its worth....

Like many of you I have tried just about every type of skins that have been available in the last 10-20 years. I bought a set of the green tua sumos (known by many as the "minty-hunks-of-love") about a year or two after they hit the market in some clearance sale (some of you older folks with still functioning memories may be able to venture a guess as to how long ago that was... my guess is more than 10 years ago). It was long before Ascension was acquired by Black Diamond and they had 100% (black) mohair skins in their lineup. I bought some for the sumos and custom fit them using the "skin pocket tip and rat tail" attachment system. I loved them. Very smooth long glide characteristics, seemed to climb just about as well as all my ski partners gear, and (augmented with ArmorAll) didn't ice up (unless I was dumb enough to skin through an open stream and out onto fresh snow :). Before I ever got around to buying skins again Ascension (or was it Black Diamond?) discontinued them... >
One of the main reasons I still have the Sumos after all these years (the topsheets look like a toxic waste dump) is that every now and then I take them out just to skin on the mohairs. They look worn out (no mohair left on the edges) but they still climb as steep as I wanna go and oh-so-smoothly Lots of miles on them so I'm really not unhappy with the wear factor, but none of my equivalent mileage other skins have the nap worn off at the edges.
Now that I know they are available again I will probably buy them for my next boards purchased.
Mohairs Rock

I remember these when I was younger, but don't have memories to compare. I'm curious from reading these though if people have found these skins more durable. My ascension skis and G3 skins seem to only last a year or so before they are toast. Although I am a bit more abusive than most.

This discussion is great! I have pure mohair skins on the way. I will be sure to implement at least one of the break in methods noted here. I will report their characteristics after a few trips out with them.